Nepenthe {joshler}

vi.

"so, how are you liking things so far?" adrian asks, as he sits in the living room of the dun's house.

ashley smiles and jordan nods. "they're really cool." he says and adrian smiles.

"any problems?" adrian asks.

"they still don't know everything about josh but, they're on top of jordan's hospital appointments and abigail actually lets bill carry her now." ashley explains and adrian raises his eyebrows, because that's a big step.

"what about laura, is she respecting boundaries? are you guys adjusting?"

jordan nods and abigail speaks up from where she's chewing her cat stuffie. "she's a good mommy."

adrian seems startled and so does ashley by the outburst.

"and what about you ashley? are you adjusting to being a kid and not a parent?" he says and ashley scowls, but drops it when adrian gives her a tired look.

"i'm trying. it's only been a month, and josh is never here, sometimes it feels like it did before." she admits sheepishly.

adrian seems upset by this as he suddenly looks between the kids, as if only just noticing josh is absent. "where is josh actually?"

jordan gulps, "you know where with you know who."

"and they have no idea?"

"they ask but he lies." ashley says and jordan scoffs.

"asks us to lie, you mean."

"right." adrian says and he pulls out his phone.

"who are you calling?" ashley sits forward.

"tyler."

"how did-"

"josh used my phone to call him a month back." adrian explains just in time for tyler to pick up.

"hello?"

"tyler, this is adrian, josh's social worker. is he with you?"

tyler looks down at where josh is asleep on his stomach, and tyler's free hand is twisting soft curls between his fingers on top of josh's head. the sight making his heart is full.

"yeah." he says quietly. "is everything okay?"

"can i speak to him?"

tyler frowns. "he's asleep right now. hold on."

"no, no leave him." adrian assures and tyler pauses. "can you just pass on a message for me?"

"sure."

"remind him that he's not alone anymore, and he can't keep running off. his mother may not have cared, but laura and bill do.
and asking ashley and jordan to lie for him isn't fair anymore, they can't build a relationship with their foster parents if they're having to break their trust every five minutes."